Increase Versatility and Protect Pricey GPS Units with a Garmin eTrex Carry Case

A Garmin GPS unit will run you a handful of money, with our eTrex Legend listed for $214.00 on the manufacturer website. It was only a matter of time before we bought a protective case for it to protect our investment, which also fits the Summit. The case is listed for $14.99 online, but we found it for about half the price on sale (when our local Eastern Mountain Sports was moving).


Carrying Case

The case is black, and is made out of a nylon/neoprene materials, and has a clear plastic window on the front so that you can see the screen. The Garmin name and logo are stamped on the case.

The case is designed so that you slip the eTrex into the case and stretch the top flap closed using the Velcro® flap closure. This leaves the top edges open so that you can use the buttons on the side to properly operate the GPS. The top flap has a section of reflective material on it.

It comes with a lanyard connection, although the eTrex came with its own lanyard and lanyard connection (on the battery case) as well.

The back has a belt clip. It is a strong clip that will slide over a belt or other loop. Our backpacks have tons of loops and straps, making it easy to find somewhere to clip this.


My Thoughts

This case is a good way of protecting a fairly big investment. It is easy to put the GPS in and take it out, and most importantly, protects the screen from getting scratched or cracked. And although it is easy to take the unit in or out, the case fits nice and snug. It is easy to take out the unit for a quick change of batteries, which is very convenient.

We use our Garmin eTrex in the car and on the trail, so it is usually getting tossed around and getting some wear and tear. After buying the case, we usually keep the GPS unit in it all the time, unless we’re at home uploading data or whatnot.

We have had an incident or two with the GPS, where the case has easily been responsible for saving the unit. In one instance, we were hiking up along the edge of a cliff near Thirteenth Lake (southern Adirondacks), and the unit was dropped. It bounced down a number of switchbacks, falling probably at least 3 stories, landing about 1 foot from the water. All the bouncing across rocks, and it was undamaged.

In using the case, we can get more use out of the GPS. By this, not only would the life of the product be extended, but now it opens up more versatility. We are much more likely to have the GPS out and about, such as attaching the GPS to the outside of a backpack.

There are only a few downsides to this carrying case. The first is that although the buttons are revealed, I wish the case were a little more strategically designed so that the padded case covered at least some of the corners. Although the case covers most of the GPS unit, it could still be damaged by, for example, dropping the unit where the top edge hits a rock. (If you want to see how the case fits the GPS unit, take a look at the product image on Amazon.com. It shows a bright yellow unit with the black case on it).

The also wish manufacturers didn’t use Velcro as often as they do. I have jackets and other gear with Velcro on it, and it always manages to catch on things and get dirty. It would be nice if it just had a snap or clip instead, but I guess the Velcro makes for quick closing and opening. Velcro tends to act as a dirt magnet, but a little bit of dirt and leaves isn’t the end of the world.

The clear plastic panel serves its purpose – protecting the screen – but then you also have to put up with a little extra glare, and the scratches that develop on the plastic. I don’t think this is much of an issue, and is worth saving the screen on a $200 GPS! If you are out on the trail and the glare is just too much, the case is fortunately easy enough to open up and pop out the unit.

Lastly, the belt clip is tight, but not always tight enough. I don’t know if there is a solution to this, but it will pop off at times. I would probably make the clip just a tiny bit longer, as well, to accommodate larger straps and belts. The way we have remedied this is to tie the GPS through the lanyard before clipping it on with the belt clip. This way, it is secured with the belt clip, but if it happens to fall off, it won’t hit the ground or end up underwater.

I have heard that the case might cause interference in terms of the unit being able to locate satellites. I haven’t noticed any particular reduction in performance, but I suppose if the signal was weak, I might take the unit out of its case. I guess the case blocks the sensor (or whatever you call it), but I wouldn’t think Garmin would create a case that would be particularly detrimental to using the unit. I suppose it is a possibility that the signal is somewhat weakened, though.


I would say if you have a Garmin GPS, get a case! This carrying case has worked out very nicely, and makes me feel more comfortable handling the unit and taking it places. It doesn’t have to live such a sheltered life anymore!

Garmin: www.garmin.com